EverGreen Farm

CSA Newsletter #9, June 30

This week your share includes:

• Salad Mix
• Spinach
• Pac Choi, last of the year (as I explained in last week's newsletter)
• Radishes
• Napa Cabbage

This is me walking through the garlic a few days ago.  The German Extra Hardy is as tall as my hips now.  And the scapes, aka "garlic curls" are a few inches long.  They'll be ready to snap off in a few weeks. The other varieties are coming along nicely too. 

According to Farmer Shain, the majority of planting is done for the season.  Most of the transplanting too.  This is a major accomplishment and it means he is now available to move on to other projects and to help more with harvesting.  However, he will continue with succession plantings of lettuces, peas and beans as the season goes on. 

A few weeks ago I was stopped at the post office by a neighbor.  He wanted to know if we had our "garden all planted yet?"  I said "No" and laughed at his choice of words ("garden"?).  Then I tried to explain our method of planting some crops in succession, sewing smaller batches over and over again, spread out over a period of time.  He asked "why"?.  I told him it was to spread the harvest out over several weeks, even months if possible.  "If we plant an entire crop at once, all the food will be ready at the same time and we'd never be able to pick it all."  Then he laughed at me and said "Exactly".  Apparently his idea of gardening is to plant everything at once, then relax a bit and wait for the harvest.  When the food comes on, harvest, eat, and give away as much as possible and then be done with it.  This whole notion of spreading the food out over a longer period of time is not his idea of a good time.  I think he even used the phrase "dragging it out so long".  

Well folks, we are in no hurry to get this farm planted and done with already.  Shain is quite detailed, specific and careful with his planting schedule.  It's too bad the weather and bugs have to be a factor in how well the crops grow.  Still, you can be assured we are doing our very best to drag this season and the produce out as long as possible.

We hop you all have a great 4th of July Weekend.  We are having some family up for a few days.  Our daughter Megan is performing with her school's bluegrass band.  Then there's the rodeo to attend with all the younger city-boy cousins.  I'm looking forward to it.  Next week we start our intensified work schedule with harvesting food to sell at the Jackson Hole Farmers Market.  We really enjoy the market.  It's so rewarding to SEE the people who eat the food we are growing.  And I admit to being quite fond of all the praise and compliments.  But if we seem a little dazed over the next few months, you'll know why. 

Take Care and Enjoy your Veggies!

Tara

CSA Newsletter #8, June 23

This week your share includes:

• Salad Mix
• Spinach
• Radishes
• Pac Choi
• Chinese Cabbage

I was fortunate to experience a beautiful full rainbow shining over EverGreen Farm this past week.  It was so close and the colors were so vivid.  Is it telling us the rain is over?  

This week you are getting several new items in your share, including some Asian greens called Chinese cabbage and pac choi.  Soon after we transplanted our first batch of these plants they were attacked by flea beetles.  The leaves looked awful and the plants were bolting before they were large enough to harvest.  So the rows were tilled under and we will plant the area with another crop.

The second batch of Chinese cabbage and pac choi did a little better, at least they weren't eaten completely by the bugs.  However, once again the plants are bolting before growing to their optimal size.  The Chinese cabbage is a real disappointment.  Instead of growing large frilly leaves, the plants produced a stalk up the center and small leaves growing from the stalk.  We decided to go ahead and cut down the entire row because the plants would only get worse in this week of sun we'll be having.  Your bag of Chinese cabbage doesn't look so great, but it's all we'll be able to give you this year. 

You are also getting a bag of pac choi this week.  Unfortunately this crop is also bolting, though not as bad.  We harvested all the plants that had to be cut and it looks like there will be enough to give you one more bag just like it next week.  

Our family's favorite recipe for using up the Asian greens is to make egg rolls.  We have a recipe here on the website, but I don't follow the ingredient list too specifically anymore.  I use lots of substitute ingredients, whatever we have on hand. Egg roll mixture freezes very well.  It is one of our winter time staples. 

Looks like we'll have a few days to dry out from all the rain that has been pouring down on us the past two weeks.  I like rain, but sometimes it causes problems for us.  First, the ground gets too soaked for Shain to get his planting done on schedule.  Second, on some rainy days it's nearly impossible to work outside so we get behind on farm projects.  Third, weeds.  We'll be weeding now like crazy because of all this moisture.  Good thing my dad gave us a Weed Wacker for Christmas last year.  It's not an ideal way to deal with weeds, but there is no way all this weeding could ever be done by hand.  Another new tool my dad gave us is a propane torch/weed burner. (Insert manly "tool loving" laugh here.  Arh har har har.)  My dad gives the best presents.  Unfortunately there is not a tool to do the weeding when it's mixed right in with the vegetables.  Back to hands and knees.

Speaking of weeding, here's the garlic.  A before and after shot as we've been working on it this past week.  And I admit, the rain made this project easier!  Trying to look on the bright side.  :)

 

The garlic is growing very well.  I'm looking forward to the garlic scapes that will be coming on soon.

It's been 2 weeks of crazy scheduling for our family with short trips to Utah, daughter at music camp, school certification conference, family reunions and rain.  The kids have forgotten what it's like to do chores.  (Not for long.)  Whew.  But we are back now and ready to harvest all the new crops that are just about ready.  Next week?  Kale!

Have a good week and enjoy your veggies.

CSA Newsletter #7, June 16

In your share this week:

• 10 oz. bag of Salad Mix
• Big bunch of Japanese Turnips - LAST of the YEAR
• Shunkyo Radishes

Yep, it's the last of the turnips.  When we went out to harvest them this morning, I noticed some kind of bugs have started enjoying them too.  So we harvested all that was left to give you one last big bunch.  Overall, we are very pleased with the Japanese turnip crop this year.  The harvests have been much better than any year before.  Apparently the trick is growing them early in the greenhouse.

Shain tells me he thinks the spinach will be ready to start picking next week.  Yeah!

Her I am with Shain on a rainy day after cutting salad.  (Monday, June 15, 2009)

If a picture is worth a thousand words, what is this one saying?

Wet.  Rain.  Mud.  Love.  Cold.  Together.  Smiles.  Boots.  Happy.  Work.  Muck.  Crawling on Hands and Knees.  Dirty.  Persist.  Carry On.  Drenched.  Soaked.  Affection.  No Make up.  Goofy.  Clean.  Hand Crafted.  Outside.  Laugh.  

It has rained a lot this past week.  (As if YOU didn't know.)  For some crops, the rain and mild temperatures have been ideal for growing.  However, the muddy fields have made it impossible for Shain to keep up with his planting schedule.  Win some.  Lose some.  I'm also thinking about the abundance of weeds that will come as a result of this extra moisture.  Humphf!! 

Have a great week and enjoy your veggies!

Tara

CSA Newsletter #6, June 9

In this week's CSA share:

• Japanese Turnips, large bunch
• Radishes
• Salad Mix

This week's salad mix is the first cut off our first out side planting.  It's just about perfect.  Enjoy! 

I'm sorry to say that this week's newsletter will be very short and void of photographs. 

It's been a hectic week or so around here.  I can only describe it as a series of unfortunate events.  It's no joke, but at least I'm still laughing.  I haven't even thought much about my camera or this blog.  Sometimes life just happens.  (P.S.  Don't worry.  It's nothing serious.  Just time consuming.)

But I do have some new recipes to share with you.  Two CSA members sent me recipes last week.  They sound yummy.  One is for a Bacon and Arugula Quiche, but I think it would also work well with the turnip greens you are still getting.  Then next is Turnip and Cauliflower Puree.  I'm going to make this one for sure.

Have a good week and enjoy your veggies!

Tara

CSA Newsletter #5, June 2

This week your share includes:

• Japanese Turnips, a big bunch, remember to also enjoy the turnip greens (get creative, find a new recipe!)
• Radishes 

I harvested a new variety of radish this week.  They are called Shunkyo Semi-Long, "a distinctive specialty radish from North China".  Aren't they beautiful?  Shain picked this variety because they are described as "slow bolting".  And so far, so good.  Even in the heat of the greenhouse.  I hope these last a few weeks longer because they are a joy to harvest.  They look like little carrots, and the color is incredible. 

We have some new additions to EverGreen Farm!

About 2 weeks ago Daisy, one of our Saanen dairy goats, had her kids.  Triplets! 

 

Then just a few days later our oldest doe Trinidy had her twin babies.  (Sorry, no pictures to show of the second batch of babies.  Isn't that typical?  Mom takes lots of pictures of the first born, but not the kids that follow.)  All goat mamas and kids are doing well to my great relief.   The kids are eating well, and running and jumping around.  It has been so much fun to watch.

What is it with baby farm animals?  Tell me!  Are these piglets not the cutest little things you've ever seen?

These four little guys came to the farm just yesterday.  They have a big job to do and will enjoy every minute of their lives on our farm.  I don't think there are many pigs that eat better than the pigs at EverGreen Farm.  They have a new job description:  Expert Compost Maker. 

 

My son Eli was very excited about the arrival of the piggies.  As soon as he saw them he said "Hey guys!  We are going to have a lot of fun together this summer!" 

Watch out little ones!  Eli's coming!  (Extra points if you know the name of the band that sang this 1969 hit song.)

A lot of work has been accomplished on the farm in the past 2 weeks.

In the evening on Friday, May 22nd Shain decided to start planting the potatoes.  (Some Friday night fun.  We are strange.)  It was a nice evening, not too hot.  I thought we'd get one row planted, maybe two.  Shain made the potato furrows with his walking tractor and then we started placing the potato seed down the rows one at a time, spaced approximately 1 1/2 feet apart.  Then a few workers came to help and we started raking dirt up over the potatoes to create long mounded rows for hundreds of potato plants.  Raking is the hard part.  This job requires A LOT of raking! 

Did I mention we plant potatoes by hand?

Then a miracle happened here on EverGreen Farm.  Because within a few hours all 400 pounds of potato seed were in the ground and covered with dirt!  That's 1,800 row feet of potatoes.

This year's potato planting was by far the easiest we have ever experienced.  I was amazed!  Shain says that this was due to the soil being "just right".  It also helped to have some incredible help.  Pictured above is Clark, husband to Nicole, one of our workshares.  He will now be affectionately referred to as Superman.  This man can RAKE!

Now - lets again discuss those *$@$ flea beetles.  Remember the tiny turnip leaves I showed you in my last newsletter?  They were in the process of being eaten by tiny little black specks.  Really, how much damage can be done by a black speck?  A lot.  This is all that's left.  (And this is even a picture of a "good" section, because in most places down the row there was nothing left to photograph.)

Flea beetles also like Chinese Cabbage.

 

These starts were transplanted out into field #1 a few weeks ago and they have been hit hard, despite Shain's efforts of crop rotation, spraying with insecticidal soap and using row covers.

This can be discouraging.  But from every "failure" we learn something.  We know this farm has a problem with flea beetles and we even know what crops they love to eat (mostly the brassicas).   We can either give up growing all these wonderful crops ("NO"), keep trying to fight against or out trick the bugs (not really working), or we can learn to work better with mother nature to avoid the flea beetle problems all together.  Shain has been taking detailed notes and he has some good ideas for next year.  We are thinking that new greenhouse will be put to use quite well next spring.

We do have a second planting of Chinese cabbage that haven't been attacked yet, so I'm still hoping for a harvest.  We'll see.

Growing just 2 feet away from the all-but-gone turnips is our first out door crop of salad lettuces.  (Interesting how some bugs will literally ignore a crop growing just inches away from their favorite.)

These 2 salad rows are coming along nicely, but have been in desperate need of attention.  Call out the weeding crew!  Compare:  left - not weeded, right - beautifully weeded.  (And as of today the row on the left is weeded too!) 

You'll have salad mix again in next week.  :)

 

So, what ya been making?  Any good recipes?

I always love a good early summer salad, especially with strawberries, carmelized onions and a nice vinaigrette.  Simple and delicious.  

Shain made some incredibly tasty stuffed mushrooms last week with our turnip greens, sun-dried tomatoes, onions and Parmesan cheese. 

  

Today on my drive home from delivering the CSA shares, my mind was running wild with all my typical worries about money, children, home, farm, etc.  As I came up over a small ridge I noticed the sun shinning down through a break in the clouds.  It's rays turned the scenery into magic.  Fields of dandelions were transformed into a blanket of gold.  I saw lush green pastures dotted once again with cows, baby lambs and teenagers changing pipe.  Homes of friends, neighbors and long time Star Valley residents sparkled from the drops of a recently passed cloud burst.  I was overcome with joy and quickly my troubles turned to feelings of contentment, belonging, and peace.  I love living here. 

Have a great week and enjoy your veggies!

Tara

CSA Newsletter #4

This week your share includes:

• Salad Mix
• Arugula, another big bag, the LAST harvest of the season
• Radishes
• Japanese Turnips, this is a 2 for 1 vegetable, remember the turnip greens are also edible (think stir fry, wilted greens, etc.) 

First thing I need to tell you is THERE WILL NOT BE A CSA FOOD DELIVERY NEXT WEEK, MAY 26TH.  The reason is both simple, and complex.  Simply put, there is no food to give you next week.  Shain is even doubtful about the following week but I will let you know as that date gets closer.

The more detailed explanation for this "off week" is that we are experiencing the effects of extreme temperature fluctuations. 

The crops you've been enjoying the past few weeks are grown in the greenhouses.  They are "cold weather" crops, meaning they can and will grow just fine during the colder weather, and the little extra warmth of the greenhouses and row covers helps pull them through the freezing nights.  However, when the sun comes out like it has the past few days, the temperatures in the greenhouses are far too hot for cold weather crops.  These plants react to the heat by wilting, bolting (growing rapidly with undesirable long stems), and going to seed (developing seed stalks and pods) instead of growing into a nice tasty vegetable. 

Ideally we would transition immediately into harvesting from the crops growing out in the fields.  (And let me assure you, there is SO much growing out in the fields.)  But a smooth transition between weather seasons doesn't happen very often in Star Valley, WY.  Thus interrupting the transition in our growing season.

As soon as the snow melts, it's a race to get the fields prepared and planted, taking into consideration the ideal growing conditions for the various plants we want to grow for you.  We plant, we plant, we plant and then wait for the plants to grow.   I guess you could say we are still waiting.  ("Wait" is probably not be the verb I should use to describe our activity level over the past few months.)

I could give you even more reasons why the outside crops aren't ready yet, but I'm still trying to process the scientific explanation Shain gave me the other night.  Frankly folks, let's leave him to take care of those details.

I know some of you are saying "The LAST of the Arugula?"  Sadly, yes.  Here's why:

 

Flea Beetles.  Can you see the little black specks?  They came out a few days ago when the heat turned on.

 

Notice the damage they are doing to the very tiny plants.  THAT'S what they would do to any arugula we try to grow in the summer.  The flea beetles would eat the tiny baby greens to a stub.  The plants in these pictures are very young radish leaves, and since we don't eat the radish leaves we plant them despite the flea beetles. 

I posted two new recipes to this website today.  Two arugula recipes.  Yummy.

    

Arugula Basil Pesto and  Arugula Salad

edited:  I just added another recipe sent by a CSA member.  Arugula Pesto with Mint

If you have any recipes to share, please send them to me.  Pictures not required.

But you know how I like pictures.  I took these just yesterday as we were preparing your share of produce.  Vegetables can be so beautiful.

 

A nice pile of radishes.  The colors are amazing. 

 

Japanese Turnips are a personal favorite.  They are sweet, mild, and crunchy.  I love them thinly sliced on a toasted bagel sandwich with creme cheese, turkey and lettuce. 

You all know we have chickens and those "ugly" guineas.  They are quite active now that they have free run of the yard, the compost piles, the pig pens, and the goat barn, etc.  The chickens do an incredible job pecking around eating bugs everywhere.  The birds here are truly "free range".  Problem with that is finding the eggs.  Those sneaky birds, always hiding their eggs.  At our place we know the TRUE meaning of going on an egg hunt. 

With the new hay shed, and Shain's nicely stacked pile of hay, there's a new place for the chickens to hide their eggs.  And with the kids still in school, part of the egg collecting job falls to me.  So while the kids may think it is great fun to climb to the top of the hay stack to check for eggs, I'm not so sure.  That's 7 bales high here!  As high as the top of the tractor. 

But if I don't collect the eggs, some ill tempered chicken will likely come along and peck her "rivals" goods.  (Is that what they mean by the phrase "hen pecked"?  I think I'm understanding this.)  So up I go, which isn't so bad.  Coming down is another thing. I try to do it while no one is looking.

Our first yellow tomato blossoms (with companion basil plant).  The plants look healthy, the blossoms are coming on fine, and I've seen no sign of rodent damage.  Happy days out in greenhouse #4.

Have a good week and enjoy your veggies!

Tara

CSA Newsletter #3

This week your share will include:

• Arugula
• Salad Mix
• Radishes

Greenhouse #3 has been replanted with tomatoes and basil.  The tomato plants are doing well under their pop bottle barriers.  So far, this idea is working.  It's been one week and no plants have been eaten or chewed down.  The rodents are even leaving the basil alone.

Thank you for sending the bottles.  I had this idea to turn our bottle collection project into a competition, you know - like they do at the elementary schools when the goal is to see which classroom can collect the most *whatevers*.  But I won't.  Would you like to know who would be winning IF I DID make this into a competetion ('cuz I'm not), it would be the folks at the Etna pick up.  Yep.  They've sent the most bottles so far.  Pretty impressive considering there are only have 5 CSA members picking up at that location. 

Please keep the clear plastic bottles coming.  We have one more planting of tomatoes in a few weeks that we'd like to protect, just in case.

Greenhouse #5 has a cover on it.  It's far from done, but one step closer.

The big project Farmer Shain put me in charge of recently has been transplanting.  He estimates that in the past week we have planted 7,000 seedlings and starts.  They include:  leeks, red onions, yellow onions, pac choi, Chinese Cabbage, Napa Cabbage, tomatoes, basil, and kale.

With all this transplanting, there has been a lot of crawling around here on the farm lately.  My knees hurt.  It takes a while to develop tough knees.  (Sadly, short skirts are not a part of this farm girl's summer wardrobe.  Bruised and calloused knees are one of the hazards of the job.)

This is a Red Russian Kale transplant.  I think it's pretty.  Grow little guy.

And with the help of row covers, plants like the kale, cabbages, and pac choi will grow quickly.

Here are the four 150 ft. rows we put in on Saturday.  Shain started us out by tilling a nice long section of ground and laying out the drip tape.  Then we brought the seedlings out of the greenhouse and made holes with proper spacing depending on the crop.  Next, the seedlings were removed from their tray, placed into a hole, and firmly "tucked in" to the soil.

After a row of seedlings were transplanted into the ground, the row was "hooped" and covered with long white row covers. 

This is a picture taken (on my hands and knees, again) under a cover looking down a row of pac choi.

Row covers, also called agricultural fabric, do several things.  They act as an insect barrier and frost protector.  They also provide a little shade, shield plants from wind, and keep the soil from drying out as quickly.  And most importantly, row covers accelerate the growth rate of the plants growing underneath.  We have done side-by-side comparisons and the difference is incredible.  (Sometimes we'll run out of row cover for the last few plants in row and they'll get left uncovered.  When this happens we can observe the two identical crops growing side by side, one covered and one un-covered.  The difference can be as much as a few weeks to a one month delay in growth size for the uncovered plants.  Amazing.)

Have a good week and enjoy your veggies!

Tara

CSA Newsletter #2

Thank you for all of the kind words I received last week about the first harvest of greens.  I only heard good things, so I'm relieved to think there were no mix ups with any of the food pick-ups. 

One thing I did forget to tell CSA members is that if you are ever unable to personally pick up your share of veggies (out of town, on vacation, etc.), you are welcome to have someone else pick it up for you.  Just make sure you tell them all the "rules" we have for making our pick-up routine hassle-free.

This week your share includes:

• Arugula, another big bag
• Salad Mix, not much of a "mix" really, there are only 2 salad varieties the rodents don't seem to like as much
• Radishes

Let's start off this newsletter with a cheerful picture!  Hello Garlic!

Seeing the garlic each year is such a pleasant sight.  Garlic is planted in the fall, one clove at a time.  It is a time consuming, back breaking job.  But its all worth it in the spring to see rows and rows of garlic shoots breaking their way through the soil. 

Shain worked very hard this past week putting our hay, tools, machinery, and equipment into the new hay shed.  Have I mentioned to you yet how happy I am to have this project completed?  Thank you Shain.

And speaking of projects, there is still one more building to finish - greenhouse #5. 

On Saturday, we had another crew of family and workshares out to the farm.

But the weather was not cooperative and by the afternoon we were rained out.

They did manage to get the side boards mounted and the two ends installed. 

All that's left is to pull on the cover, install the roll-up hardware, and then finish the sides. (I make it sound so simple.  It's not.  THANK YOU DAD, GP, VERN, CAL, GREG, LACY'S DAD, ANDY, STEVE and all the others who have helped with these very big endeavors!)

The pig pen got cleaned out this weekend.  (The man we hire to do this job deserves "combat pay"!  Pee-ew, gag, cough!  Trust me.)  The pile above, furthest to the left, is the compost pile we started last spring.  It started out as a heap of muck from the goat pens, pig pen, and chicken coups plus a lot of rotten hay, leaves, and garden waste.   Now it is a pile of rich, decayed organic matter. 

And this spring we start the process over again with the new mound in the center.   

While the men kept busy on their projects, I had the kids working with me.

Here we are planting this year's crop of leeks.  It's also a time consuming job.  First, Shain tilled the ground to get it ready for planting and then he laid out a long row of drip tape.  Next, we punch holes in the ground right up next to the tape.  Megan is using a special tool made especially for this job.  It spaces out the holes just right for leeks.   

Eli and Simeon are following down the row putting a leek start (looks similar to a scallion, but much thinner) into each hole.  I am further back down the row filling in the holes with dirt and "tucking in" the leeks to ensure firm soil contact.

We planted several hundred leeks before the rain made the soil too muddy to work in. 

I feel I must warn you about this next photo.  It is not for the faint of heart.  It is a sad sight, especially for those who love tomatoes and basil like me.

This is the inside of greenhouse #3.  A few weeks ago we filled it with tomato and basil transplants.  Most of those plants are no longer living.  (Please pause for a moment of silence.)  Over the past few weeks the mice and voles have eaten very well and now, unfortunately, we must declare this planting a total loss. The surviving plants will be moved into another greenhouse and we will start all over again. 

In the photo above, I tried to point out the 6 remaining tomato plants with red arrows (Shain has covered them with pop bottles and milk cartons), the few basil plants are marked with black arrows, and all the white arrows are pointing towards the stub of where a tomato plant once stood.  Most of the green you see down the rows are merely weeds.  (There were many more plants in this greenhouse than indicated with arrows.  These are only the ones I can still identify.)  The strips of red plastic you see down two rows is a "tomato mulch" we wanted to try out.  It claims to help the plants grow bigger and faster and increase tomato yield.  So much for that.)

Here is a close up of Shain's idea to make plant guards out of pop bottles.  One thing we are still trying to figure out is how the plastic barriers will work with drip tape irrigation.  I'll keep you posted.

Now for a joke, we'll it's not really a "joke" but with all the rodent problems we are having, you have to find a way to laugh occasionally.  Here you are.  Go a head and laugh at this one.

Today I was out in greenhouse #3 (the one pictured above) and noticed this collection of traps.  At first I thought it was just a place where Shain had put them to the side to get them out of his way while he worked.  Then I noticed that all of these traps are loaded and set!  If you look closely, you'll see he has them strategically placed by some rodent holes.  Now THAT'S WAR!  It's not funny, but I still had to laugh.

This is my contribution to destroying the plant-eating-buggers.  Alow me to introduce you to "Dr. Pepper" one of our new cats.  At least I think this one is Dr. Pepper.  His sister looks just like him, only a little smaller.  Her name is Pepsi.  (I didn't name them.  I'm told their mother's name is Sprite.)  They seem happy here.  They especially like the hay shed and taking cat naps in the hay pile.  Now that I think they won't run away, I'm going to start taking them "to lunch" in the greenhouses with me.  (Insert evil cackly laugh here.)

Have a good week and enjoy your veggies!

Tara

CSA Newsletter #1

Hello CSA Members!  We are excited to get this season underway.  I hope all the details of this week's first pick-up go smoothly for everyone.  And I especially hope you enjoy your greens!

This week your share will include:

• Arugula, a nice big bag
• Salad Mix, not our regular mix, I harvested what was available

Up until about a week ago, most of the farm work we could do was limited to inside the greenhouses.  I think we were all getting a little stir-crazy waiting for Mr. Sun.  And finally the sun did shine on EverGreen Farm.  And the snow began to melt.  And there were all the fields, just where we left them.  Although they aren't looking so great just yet.  No worries.  Farmer Shain will have them spread with compost and manure in no time.  Then he'll get them all tilled and planted.  Just like he's done here with a section of Field #1. 

Here's how it happened:  The sun came out for a few days, just long enough to trick us into putting away our winter coats, and melted the snow off field #1.  Then the warmth and gusty breezes helped dry out the ground enough for Shain to spread a layer of compost, get the ground tilled, and sew a planting of salad mix and spinach.  Yes, all in a days work.  Except Shain is still teaching school, so it was all in a 3 days after work for him.  But he got it done, and just before the storms came in to get the ground soaked and muddy again.  Which meant I didn't have to do the watering.  :)

Shain asked me to take this picture above.  On the left is the south half of Field #1 which he has been tilling to prepare for planting.  But what he wants me to show you is the green area on the right.  This is what's left of a cover crop which was planted last year.  Cover cropping, also know as "green manure", is an essential part of sustainable agriculture.  It fixes nitrogen back into the soil and adds organic matter.

This area is where we planted last year's crop of garlic.  Once the garlic was harvested (in about the middle of August) , Shain planted it with cereal rye grass and filed peas.  We watered the section for the remainder of the season allowing a lush green growth to take over.  Then the grasses and peas are allowed to "winter kill" which basically means we leave them as is to be snowed on and start breaking down all winter long.  Now in the spring, the area is enriched and ready to plant again.  

And NOW, I am MOST happy to announce the completion of a big project that I've been looking forward to for a few months.  This is the "hay barn".   The metal frame was put up late last fall and into winter.  And there it sat.  And the snow got deep.  And putting on the cover got moved to a spring project.  And now it's spring!  Yeah!  I was so exited I almost forgot to take pictures.  There I was, pulling on a rope with the men, when I realized my duty to MY READERS.  "I have to take pictures of this."  (Somehow they managed to pull over the cover without me.)  It was really a cool process to watch.

They make it look so easy.

Question:  How many Engineers, Masters Degrees, and Ph.D's does it take to pull the cover over a hoop house? 

You don't want to know. 

TA DA!  Our new hay shed.  Home to our tractor, manure spreaders, lots of equipment and tools, Shain's drift boat, a few ton of hay, and some new cats (just as soon as I find some).  

While the men were working on this big job, a few women folk put their fingers to task on a more delicate project - thinning seed starts.

This is the first batch of Chinese Cabbage which was started back a month or so ago.  It was our assignment to thin the seedlings down to only two plants per cell so the (remaining) seedlings will have room to grow.

On the left is a tray of starts after thinning.  On the right is before thinning.  This process is a little time consuming, but no one complains as the workers get to take home and eat all the baby seedlings they pull.

Meanwhile, as some of the guys put the finishing touches on the hay shed, others went over to work on greenhouse #5.  This is also a project that got started at the end of last year.  It's another BIG hoop house, nearly 100 feet long.  This one will be a little different though, with roll up sides for ventilation. 

On Monday, April 27th we had a large crew of workers out to the farm to get ready for our first day of harvesting.  The food shed had acted as a storage shed all winter long and needed a good cleaning.  Everything got scrubbed down, top to bottom.  It is nice to see parts of the farm getting cleaned up and organized again.  I like clean.  I like organized. 

And now here I am, on Tuesday afternoon.  I just got in the house after harvesting, washing, and packaging your first share of produce.  I have a few minutes to finish this blog post and then eat some lunch and go make deliveries.  It was a good day.  There was just enough salad to get you an 8 oz. bag, and plenty of Arugula.  It's good to be back.

Have a good week and eat your veggies!

Tara

CSA deliveries start NEXT WEEK, April 28

Good News:  The CSA will gets it's first delivery of produce one week earlier than planned.  We will start harvesting next week!  Your first share of produce can be picked up at your designated pick-up location next Tuesday, April 28th.  (I'm still in the process of organizing all this.  More information to come.  Check your email!)

Bad News:  While we are getting out produce one week early, it's not going to be very much.  Arugula and some salad is ready now; however, a few other salad varieties normally included in our salad mix are way behind or have been eaten by rodents.  You'll get some kind of salad, just not sure what will be in the mix quite yet.  Also, the radishes and turnips we planted weeks ago are not on schedule and probably won't make it by next week either. 

Because of the inconsistent growth of some crops and the rodent problems, there is a possibility that we'll get the season started early but then need to take a week off not too far into the season.  We've decided to take this a week at a time.  In the event that there is a down week, I'll let everyone know by posting on this website and by email.

Good News:  The sun has started to shine on EverGreen Farm!  Much of the snow has melted and we are starting to work the fields.  Shain spread compost over one section of ground last night.  Tonight he'll till it.  Then it will be planted with more salad and spinach.  Hopefully it won't rain and he can get this all done in the evenings after he comes home from teaching school.

There is SO MUCH planted on the farm right now.  It's only a matter of time, and weather. 

Bad News:  Rodents are out of control here at the farm.  Last week I mentioned that the mice and voles are eating the baby greens, but that was just the beginning.  Now the buggers have taken out my tomato and basil plants.  It's all out war!  Seriously.  Shain has just about bought every mouse trap at our local hardware store.  He estimates to have killed 30 or so just in the past few days.  That's incredible.  I'm getting more cats.

Good News:  We are having a big work day here on Saturday, April 25th.  The plan is to get the cover up on the hay shed, clean out the food prep areas, and start working to finish greenhouse #5.  I'm calling out the troops to get all this work done (our family is even coming from Utah to help).  You are welcome to come get a little dirty with us.  The more the merrier.

I'll be in touch soon.

Tara